Gabby Petito case: 4 KEY people who helped cops find blogger's body
Gabby Petito's case is far from solved despite a body being found which is believed to be hers. An autopsy on her suspected remains discovered near a campsite in Wyoming is scheduled for September 21. On the other hand, her boyfriend Brian Laundrie who is a "person of interest" in her disappearance and suspected murder is missing. While there's constant speculation over social media regarding Petito's disappearance, Laundrie's whereabouts, and everything in between, here are the people whose detective work might've helped cops reach a breakthrough.
Talking about the open loops in Petito's case, it's yet to be determined if Laundrie's parents Christopher and Roberta can be charged. Laundrie's whereabouts remain a mystery as well despite various people on Twitter claiming he was spotted in Florida, and Alabama since he first went missing on September 14. From the looks of it, there's still a long way to go before full closure can be reached in this case but here are a few people whose sleuthing may have helped along the way.
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YouTubers Jenn and Kyle Bethune
Petito's family extended a thank you to YouTubers Jenn and Kyle Bethune for coming forward with information that they might've recorded Petito's van in their vlog. The duo and their family were on a vacation at the Grand Teton National Park at the same time as Petito and Laundrie. While reviewing tapes from their vacation, Jenn Bethune said, "We came across a white van that had Florida plates.
“A small white van. We were going to stop and say hi because we’re from Florida, too, but the van was completely dark. There was nobody there, so we decided to continue on our way," she added. The Bethunes spotted the van parked on the side of the road around 6:30 pm on August 27 and traveled back to the same road the following day to see the van still parked. “It’s kind of freaky for a late Saturday evening,” Kyle Bethune said.
Hawk-eyed internet sleuths noted a lot of similarities between the van in the video and the van that Petito and Laundrie were driving. Right from rust neat the gas cap which was consistent with the couple's van based on other photos to an abandoned sandal shoe seen on the ground near the vehicle which is similar to what Petito was spotted wearing during the trip. A wide-brimmed summer hat was pictured on the dashboard of the vehicle similar to what Petito was wearing in her final Instagram post she shared on August 25. "We believe this is the van for multiple reasons. Thank you so much, this is exactly why we are asking people to review older photos and video,” Petito's family wrote for Jenn and Kyle Bethune on the 'Find Gabby' Facebook page.
TikToker Miranda Baker
TikTok user Miranda Baker and her boyfriend gave a lift to a man at Grand Teton on August 29 who she believes was Brian Laundrie. In a video, Baker said the man claimed "he needed to go to Jackson" where she and her boyfriend were headed. The man then allegedly asked to get out of the vehicle once Baker mentioned "Jackson Hole".
“Once I said Jackson Hole, he became agitated,” she said in a Tiktok video. “He seemed like he needed to get out, he was kind of antsy. And that’s when things got weird.” They dropped the man near Jackson Dam from where he walked to the nearby crowded parking lot and the couple presumed he would continue hitch-hiking. “I’m hoping this can help someone identify him because I saw him from TikTok, which then made me call the authorities,” she said. North Port police confirmed talking to Baker but didn't say whether they believe the man she and her boyfriend gave a lift to was Laundrie.
Idaho Shop Owner
An Idaho businesswoman revealed she believes Petito and Laundrie made a stop at her store while on their way to Yellowstone National Park in August. The owner took to Facebook to claim the duo stopped by at the Rustic Row which she owns and were there for nearly 15 to 20 minutes either on August 25 or 26. “They told me they were traveling from Florida. They had just been to Teton Park, and they said they were interested in going to Yellowstone, and I told them they could go to the west entrance,” the businesswoman who isn't identified told East Idaho News.
“They seemed happy, and when they left, she hollered back from the door that they were engaged, and then I said congratulations," she said. The owner has spoken to the FBI regarding this incident which took place in Victor which is 29 miles from Petito's last known location in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.